Technologies

PlayStation Portal Can Stream Your PS5 Games Without a PS5 Now

A new cloud streaming update opens up games from your own library with a subscription, even without a PS5 being turned on. Is this a small step to a future PlayStation handheld?

Handheld game consoles are seeing a wild evolution lately, from the Nintendo Switch 2 to PC handhelds running Windows and Steam. Meanwhile, Sony’s almost-standalone two-year-old handheld, the PlayStation Portal, is getting an update that frees it up from the PlayStation 5 for cloud streaming PS5 games, provided you have the right subscription. It’s getting 3D audio support for streaming games, too.

It still won’t play downloaded games offline, though. The Portal is a streaming-only handheld, but this new update looks to make it feel a lot more like a second device than a PlayStation 5 accessory. And it raises a question: Will Sony eventually make a true handheld of its own?

«The Portal is part of the PS5 family, and it continues to be a complementary device for a console not really a standalone yet,» Takuro Fushimi, Sony’s PlayStation senior manager of product management, told me over video chat. But the streaming update could let someone with one account play PS5 games while someone else played on an another account on the PS5, so it’s definitely becoming more untethered. The Portal is also currently Sony’s top-used device for streaming PS5 games, even over phones and tablets, Fushimi said, although specific sales numbers weren’t shared.

Streaming with a subscription: Works like it does on the PS5

The new cloud streaming update is the first time Sony’s considering it out of beta since the feature emerged in 2024. Previously, the Portal could cloud-stream a selection of older games via a PlayStation Plus subscription in addition to streaming games from a synced PlayStation 5.

Now, a subset of owned PlayStation 5 games will also get full cloud-streaming support without needing the PS5 to be turned on at all. The game library support matches what’s already possible on PS5 already, and the new streamable games will be laid out in a new interface.

You need a PlayStation Plus Premium subscription to get access to these streamable games, though, which costs $18 a month or $160 a year.

How it’s different from other ways to play PlayStation games on the go

The Portal and the PS5 are the only two consoles that have PS5 cloud streaming support, but phones and tablets can remote-play locally streamed games on a PlayStation 5 using an app which works with game controllers. There are some PlayStation games that are on Steam and can be played on Steam Decks and Windows game handhelds, too.

The Portal has its own advantages, though. The adaptive force-feedback triggers and vibrating haptics mirror the DualSense controller’s feel, something you can’t get otherwise. The new software update also supports 3D audio with plugged-in headphones or wireless Pulse headsets paired with Portal. But it’s still a streaming-only device.

Could Sony have a true handheld next?

The Portal’s evolution keeps making me wonder whether we’ll see a true handheld standalone successor to the PSP and PS Vita. I asked Fushimi about Sony’s stance in handhelds now compared to the rest of the evolving landscape. «We have our own sort of way of thinking about handheld,» Fushimi said. «The streaming and remote play is the way we went to offer that immersion and quality of the PS5 family as a whole for this device.»

So yes, it’s still a PS5 accessory. But it’s closer than ever to being a handheld of its own.

Technologies

Stuck in a Coffee Rut? ChatGPT Can Now Plan Your Next Starbucks Order

Don’t be surprised if the chatbot suggests mixing espresso with lemonade.

If you like getting your daily cup of coffee from Starbucks, you’ll now be able to consult with ChatGPT for your next beverage. Starbucks said on Wednesday that a new Starbucks app in ChatGPT, now in beta, will help you figure out your next order based on your mood or craving in the moment.

Although you won’t be able to order your Starbucks coffee directly through the ChatGPT app, it will suggest drinks and menu items you may enjoy, then direct you to the Starbucks app or website to complete your order.

OpenAI has added a host of other apps you can interact with in ChatGPT since announcing the functionality last year. You can do everything from browsing home listings to designing playlists without leaving the chatbot interface.

You’ll be able to use prompts like, «@Starbucks, I want something bright to start my morning,» or upload an image to describe your mood and location. Once the menu suggestion appears in ChatGPT, you can start the order through the chatbot and then complete it in the Starbucks app or online.

Paul Riedel, senior vice president of digital and loyalty at Starbucks, said in a statement that Starbucks noticed customers weren’t always starting off by looking at the menu. «They’re starting with a feeling,» he said. «We wanted to meet customers right in that moment of inspiration and make it easier than ever to find a drink that fits.»

Starbucks said interacting with ChatGPT lets you personalize your order more and discover menu options you never considered before.

(Disclosure: Ziff Davis, CNET’s parent company, in 2025 filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.)

When I tried out the new feature, I asked it about the oddest beverage combinations you can get at Starbucks. One interesting combo ChatGPT came up with was espresso with lemonade. The AI described another drink as «basically liquid dessert soup,» if that’s more up your alley.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for April 16, #570

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for April 16 No. 570.

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Connections: Sports Edition is a fun one, especially if you enjoy unusual team names. If you’re struggling with today’s puzzle but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by The Times. It doesn’t appear in the NYT Games app, but it does in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it for free online.

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Put your glasses on for this.

Green group hint: Hoops home.

Blue group hint: The minors.

Purple group hint: Hidden hoops word.

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Look at.

Green group: Seen at an NBA court.

Blue group: Double-A baseball teams.

Purple group: Starts with a WNBA team.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is look at. The four answers are observe, spectate, view and watch.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is seen at an NBA court. The four answers are benches, half-court logo, scorer’s table and shot clock.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is double-A baseball teams. The four answers are Biscuits, Drillers, Trash Pandas and Wind Surge.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is starts with a WNBA team. The four answers are dreamy, firefly, Skype and sundial.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Thursday, April 16

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for April 16.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? It’s pretty simple, but 1-Across is a bit tricky. Read on for all the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.